Monday, August 11, 2014

Gratitude: The Vacation Planner

Sonya and my granbuddy Oz.
Today, I am grateful for:

My friend Sonya Chappelear, who convinced me that a quick trip to Spain to see my grandgirl in October would be such a waste. I would need to make the whole trip a long adventure, even if I did have to stretch the finances--and my courage--a bit to achieve it.

Sonya and I have an unusual relationship in that we hang out together a lot, we're very close friends, we have absolutely no romantic attraction and we're perfectly comfortable with how we fit together. We're going to be fitting pretty tight in October--often in apartnemts with one bed and a sofa--while we're scouring the streets, rivers, railways, roads and beauty of a good portion (5 countries, as many as 9 cities) of Europe.

I would never have even imagined doing it alone (though I'm certain she would have no compunction at all; she's quite the adventurer). It took Sonya to make this trip happen and she has even taken charge of all the arrangements, something she does with considerable aplomb. She's going to write about it when it's over, so look for the book, the blog or whatever form she chooses. It'll be a wonderful piece.

My son's family left Roanoke to return to Cordoba today and I don't have to sit around and mope about missing them. I have too much work to do getting the trip together. Thank you, Sonya. You are the very definition of a good friend.

(By the way, if you're planning on robbing my house when I'm gone, don't even think about it. I'll have one and maybe two housesitters, a gardener, a mail tender and a partridge in a pear tree taking care of what few goodies I have inside.)

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